Completely Unexpected
by MeanMrsMustard
Summary: Irving and Isabella discover that, sometimes, the way things turn out is completely unexpected.
1. Prologue

Prologue

When he was 10 years old, Irving McAllister knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life.

He would go to Phineas and Ferb's house every day. He'd participate in whatever wild and crazy thing they were doing. He'd take pictures and put them in his scrapbook. And then he'd write about the day in his notebook.

He'd take all the same classes Phineas and Ferb took. He'd go to the events they went to. He'd go to the same college. He would continue being their living shadow. And all the while, he'd take pictures and write in his notebook.

When Phineas and Ferb became famous inventors, he'd assist them. He'd probably stick with Phineas more, because he wasn't very good at actually building things, though he was better than Baljeet. He would, of course, take pictures for the scrapbook and write in the notebook.

And then he'd release their biography. It would cover their entire lives. It would have pictures from his scrapbook. They would be extensive. It would include excerpts from his notebook. It would feature quotes. Not just from Phineas, either. There would be witticisms from Ferb, things Candace said, quotes from Isabella, and maybe even a tidbit from Django. Irving even had the title planned out: _Phineas and Ferb: A Lifetime of Brilliance. _

Maybe, somewhere along the line, he'd get married. A nice girl, funny and intelligent, preferably someone who loved the boys as much as he did. Maybe one of the Fireside Girls. But that wasn't so important to Irving. Not as important as the biography.

When he was 16 years old, things became a whole lot more complicated for Irving.


	2. Chapter 1: Innocent Beginning

It all began so innocently. Irving was 14 years old, and it was a normal summer's day. Irving had taken his pictures, placed them gently in page protectors, and put them in his binder. He didn't, however, close the rings on the binder. A seemingly insignificant mistake, but it had lasting consequences.

Irving tripped over a root, dropping his binder and sending the contents flying. He frantically scrambled to pick up the pictures, and saw someone in a Fireside Girls uniform stoop down to help. Probably Gretchen or Milly. Irving glanced over, and was surprised to see a cascade of black hair obscuring the face of the girl helping him. Even though he couldn't see her face, Irving instantly knew who it was.

"Isabella?"

"Yes?" She glanced over at him. "You sound surprised."

"No, well, yes, maybe a little. I was expecting another Fireside Girl."

"Why? Do you think I'm unhelpful?"

"No, it's just that… well… you know, Phineas and all…"

"Hey, I'm not _always_ obsessing over Phineas. Unlike a certain someone I know," Isabella said teasingly.

"Hey. I also obsess over Ferb- oh, you're joking."

Isabella glanced down at the pictures in her hands. "You know, Irving, these pictures are actually pretty good." Irving knew what she meant. She meant that Irving had made a good choice in the subject of the pictures. Phineas.

"Oh, really? I mean, I guess they're OK, but-"

"No, I'm serious. These look like they could be in a book. Maybe a photo essay, or an anthology, or something."

"You sure know your stuff."

"Oh, I know it from my Photography patch. I don't get _all_ my patches from Phineas, you know. Anyways, you sure have a knack for photography. Are you planning to use these pictures for anything?"

"Well, do you want me to tell you something?" Irving was surprised at himself. He was about to tell Isabella about his dream. It wasn't exactly secret, but Irving didn't go and broadcast it or anything.

"What?" Isabella seemed to pick up on Irving's change in tone.

"I'm going to write a biography of Phineas and Ferb. I've been planning it since I found out about how cool they are. I'm gonna have quotes, and pictures, and bits from my notebook. There's gonna be a chapter about Phineas, and Ferb, and Candace, and you, and some other kids, and there's gonna be a list of all the cool inventions and things they've done in chronological order, and a lot more. I even know what the title's gonna be." He pulled out a piece of paper with a drawing of the front cover of a book from a pocket in his binder. It had a hand-drawn picture of Phineas, Ferb, Isabella, Buford, Baljeet, and Irving smiling. He showed it to Isabella. "_Phineas and Ferb: A Lifetime of Excellence_. I'm gonna put it out when they become famous inventors."

"Wow, Irving. It looks like you've put a lot of thought into it. And it also looks like your dream is gonna come true. Unlike mine."

"What's your dream, Isabella?"

"Oh, I've always had a crush on Phineas. For as long as I can remember, really. My first memory is moving across the street from Phineas, and meeting him, and asking him…"

"Whatcha doin'?" they said together. Isabella said it dreamily, and Irving said it excitedly.

"I knew it!" he said. "Do you mind if I quote you on that? You know, for the chapter about your and Phineas' relationship?"

Isabella suddenly flushed. "No. Go ahead." She handed him the stack of papers that she had finished picking up long before. "Here's your photos. It was nice talking to you, Irving."

And Irving was surprised to be irritated when she hurried away.


	3. Chapter 2: Isabella's Mistake

Isabella would always remember the day she realized that Phineas wasn't meant for her.

She hadn't found him with another girl.

He hadn't told her that he didn't like her the same way she did.

No, it had been much worse.

It had been a normal day. The sun had hovered in its normal place in the sky. The sky had been its normal shade of blue. The air had contained the same amount of oxygen. The only thing that was out of the ordinary was Isabella Garcia-Shapiro. It wasn't that she had turned 15 the week before. It wasn't that she had changed up her style - gone were the pink jumper and hair bow, instead being replaced by a purple tunic, black leggings, and black flats. It was that she had an unusual amount of determination. Today was the day she was going to tell Phineas.

"Hey, Phineas! Whatcha doin?"

"Well, that's just it, Isabella. I haven't thought of what to do today."

"Oh, OK, then. Can I talk to you?"

"Aren't you talking to me right now?"

"_Alone. _I want to talk to you alone."

"Sure thing, Isabella."

They went out to the side of the house. Isabella decided not to beat around the bush. She'd tried that several times before, and every time, she had chickened out and changed the subject.

"Phineas, I've liked you since the moment I saw you! I -"

"Isabella, I like you too!" She could tell that he misunderstood her.

"No, not in that way- I mean, you _are_ my best friend, but what I mean to say is- oh, dang it! I can't say it!"

Phineas didn't even have time to say "Huh?" before Isabella's lips were on his.

When the kiss was over, Phineas had been surprised, but excited.

"Wow, Isabella! I'm so relieved!"

That had been unexpected.

"Relieved? I thought you'd… you know, be… um, mad at me."

"Mad? How could I be mad? You like me too! And more than just as a friend!"

"I… I… I'm surprised. But in a good way! I mean, I've liked you for as long as I remember, and I've always thought -"

"Really? I've liked you for a while. I mean, you've been my best friend next to Ferb for as long as I've known you. But for a few months now, I've been, uh, noticing other things about you. Things that Ferb lacks."

Isabella had woken up on the ground with Phineas kneeling next to you.

"Isabella? Are you all right?"

"Perfect…"

The next few weeks had passed in a blur of joy for Isabella. Most of the time had been spent either holding Phineas' hand or kissing him.

Until the day that they suddenly decided that kissing wasn't enough.

They had been in Isabella's room. Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro hadn't been home. Phineas had removed his shirt.

And then Isabella had realized they weren't ready.

She had been dreaming of her perfect relationship with Phineas ever since she was a little kid. For almost ten years. But the relationship hadn't been perfect. It had been almost completely physical. Sure, there were things they liked about each other that weren't physical - Phineas' endearing optimism, Isabella's perseverance - but they had seemed less important than Phineas' blue eyes, Isabella's soft lips.

"Phineas? Are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Isabella. We love each other. Why should we not?"

"Well, that's the thing. I'm not sure how much we love each other anymore. We haven't really done much together other than make out. Think about it. When was the last meaningful conversation we had?"

It had all gone downhill from there. They had tried to mend it, but soon, it became just awkward. Six months after their relationship had began, they weren't even able to be in the same room together. It was too embarrassing.

Isabella was heartbroken. Ten years of dreaming, planning, and hoping were now wasted. She wished she and Phineas could go back to being just friends, but she knew they couldn't. Not anymore.

She knew that the next time she had a relationship, she'd do things differently. She'd build the relationship emotionally before she built it physically. Even though it was too late for Phineas, it wasn't too late for Isabella.

But who could possibly replace Phineas?


	4. Chapter 3: Platonic Relationship

If you asked Irving when it all began, he'd have to say the day Albert came home to visit.

Irving had come home from school and been surprised to see his brother at the kitchen counter, drinking milk out of the carton, eating a sandwich, and texting someone. When he saw Irving, he put down the milk carton and sandwich and walked over to the door.

"Oh, hey, Irving. How've you been?"

"I'm well. How have you been, Albert? How've your classes been going?"

"They've been going OK. Look, sorry to run, but Ben Sweetwater has an advance copy of _Combat Quest 9_ and I'm gonna go play it with him."

"Cool! Can I come?"

"Oh, sure. Just keep quiet about Phineas and Ferb."

Irving didn't really know Benjamin Sweetwater. He only knew him because Albert played video games at his house (The Sweetwaters owned a game shop) and because his sister was Adyson. Irving had seen Ben about five times, and three had been because Albert had taken him to his house to play games.

At the Sweetwaters' house, Albert immediately went downstairs. When Irving tried to follow, Ben had poked his head out of the door and said it was a two-player game.

Irving sat at the table, bored.

"Hey, Irving, what are you doing at my house?" Irving looked up to see Adyson Sweetwater at the refrigerator, opening a soda.

"Oh, Albert is playing some game with Ben."

"Nice. Hey, Irving, I'd like to talk to you about something."

"What?"

"You still go to Phineas and Ferb's house every day, right?"

"Yes?"

"And is Isabella ever there?"

"No. She hasn't been for about a month. It's kind of weird, you know. One day, she sneaks off with him to make out while Ferb builds the invention - as usual - and the next, she's gone."

"Well, you can't really blame them. You know they were about to do it, but then Isabella freaked? If you ask me, they rushed into the relationship. Izzie had so much energy and emotion bottled up, when they started going out, she let it propel her way too far in. You gotta slow down, you know."

"Thanks for the relationship advice. Anyway, why do you ask?"

"She hasn't had anything to do with either of them - or even Candace - ever since the breakup. Heck, she's even been avoiding _me_ ever since Ferb and I started going out."

"Let me guess. You guys want Isabella to slowly get closer to Phineas and Ferb so she won't be so isolated, and you want someone who's sort of close to them, but not _too_ close. I fit the bill because I'm not related to them, I'm not one of the former Fireside Girls, but I still enjoy spending time with them."

"Enjoy would be an understatement, but yes. Gretchen, Milly and I have been talking about this for a few days, and we think you'd be the best option for Isabella to have another friend."

"Well, I think I could do that. It'd be nice to spend some time with Isabella."

The next day, Irving went to Isabella's house.

"Hey, Irving. What brings you here?"

"Oh, nothing. I've missed you."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's always nice to see you around."

"So, none of my friends - say, Adyson or Gretchen - set you up to this?"

Irving couldn't lie to Isabella.

"Well, maybe Adyson brought it up earlier. But I have noticed that you've been gone. And it _is_ always nice to see your face." Irving hadn't planned to say that. He felt like he was flirting with her, buttering her up. Why was he spouting so many compliments? He was just trying to be polite.

"Well, thanks, Irving. You don't know how nice it is for people to be honest for a change. I mean, Adyson, Gretchen, and the others are nice, but they've kind of been treating me like a mental patient or radioactive material lately. You know, 'Contents under pressure' and 'Handle with care.' It's irritating how condescending they are."

"Well, Isabella, if you don't want me to treat you like that, I won't. If I make you feel uncomfortable, just tell me. Adyson wanted me to talk about Phineas, but if you don't want me to go there, I won't go there."

"Thanks, Irving. Wanna go watch some TV?"

"Sure thing, Izzie. It's fun just spending time with you." Whoops. That last part had just popped out without his brain's approval.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

"What?"

"Don't call me Izzie. Unless you want me to call you Irvy."


	5. Chapter 4: Falling for Him

_A guy and a girl can be just friends, but they'll end up falling for each other sooner or later. Maybe at the wrong time, maybe too late, and maybe forever._

Isabella blinked. She had been scrolling through the page of likes, not really reading them, when that one had caught her by surprise. Six months ago, she would have liked it in a heartbeat, knowing that, eventually, Phineas would fall for her. She'd have discounted the first two options, knowing they weren't true. Four months ago, she would have read it, gotten depressed, updated her status to something like "When will the heartbreak end? /3 /3 /3" and started crying again.

But now? She knew it was one of those cheesy things that kids in love made up. Isabella knew plenty of guys: Baljeet, Buford, Rick, Django, Thomas, and Irving, to name a few. None of them had fallen for her, and she hadn't fallen for any of them. Except Irving.

It was hard to admit, even to herself. _We're just friends. I didn't fall for him. That would make him my rebound guy. That would be weird. He's just nice. That's all. _Yes, he was nice. Every day, without fail, he'd come to her house. He'd talk with her for a bit. And then they'd spend the entire day doing what Isabella wanted to do.

One day, two Saturdays ago, she'd asked him what he wanted to do.

"Irving, every day, we always do what I want to do. Now I want to do what you want to do. And don't tell me 'What you want to do,' because you've already said that twice. What would you do if you had the day to yourself?"

Irving had protested at first, but Isabella had put her foot down.

First, he had taken them to Mr. Slushee Dawg. Halfway through their meal, Phineas had walked in, arm in arm with Katie Mills. Isabella had tensed up, and Irving had asked her if she wanted to leave. Isabella had been about to say yes. The word was on her tongue. She had opened her mouth. And then she closed her mouth, gritted her teeth, and shook her head. She had tried to avoid several encounters with Phineas, most of which meant ducking out of any establishment he had walked into. She didn't want to create a hassle for Irving, so she had simply pretended not to notice Phineas. Out of the corner of her eye, she'd seen Phineas look over at her. Thankfully, he had placed his order, and left once he had paid. It was only after he had gone that Isabella realized that her stomach hadn't clenched up like it usually did when Phineas entered a room.

After they finished their meal, they had gone to the latest "Space Adventure" movie. Isabella had admitted that she hadn't seen the last three, so Irving had given her a whispered summary while the ads ran. When he was done, the last trailer ran. It was a romantic comedy about a girl who, after spending months hoping after a heartthrob, finds true love in a lovable nerd. Luckily, it was dark in the theater, so Irving didn't see Isabella blush.

Isabella was surprised that she genuinely enjoyed the movie. She wasn't really into that stuff, and the last time she'd gone, she had been too busy obsessing over and looking at Phineas - well, Phineas/Ferb - to notice anything about the actual movie. The plot line was solid, as well as the acting, and she became completely absorbed in it.

"Wow, Irving, I sure have been missing out on 'Space Adventure.' I really should go see the next one with you."

"Well, if you'd like to watch the entire series at my house, we can do that. I usually watch them alone. Albert doesn't appreciate them as much as I do."

So they'd marathon-watched the "Space Adventure" series. Isabella had called her mother and gotten permission, and Irving had ordered pizza. After the last movie was over, Mrs. McAllister had taken Isabella home.

"So, how did your date go?" Mrs. Garcia-Shapiro had asked.

"Date? Mom, it wasn't a date. Irving spends time with me every day. Plus, he's not my boyfriend! I'm tired. I'm going to bed. Good night!"

Isabella had fallen asleep quickly that night, but every day afterwards, she had thought about it. Was Irving her boyfriend? Did they like each other? No, that was preposterous. She couldn't like _Irving! _She was meant for Phineas! But that ship had sailed, hadn't it? Anyway, she'd always thought Irving might be gay.

Finally, she decided to face the facts. She had fallen for Irving. Maybe not as hard as she'd fallen for Phineas, but the fact remained that she'd fallen for him. Now all she had to wonder about was whether Irving liked her back. Hmm. This seemed to be a repeating pattern in her life.

Isabella went ahead and liked the page.

A/N: I know that doesn't support the "less than" sign. But you guys know where to mentally put it, right?

Also, I got the quote at the beginning from a Ferbella fic whose title I can't remember.


	6. Chapter 5: Floating Together

OK, just one thing before I get started. I know I don't usually do author's notes for this story, but I'm going to do one at the beginning of the chapter.

I'm going to repeat something that's been said before, but deserves repeating: If you don't like it, don't read it. Or at least don't complain. I know this is a highly unusual pairing. Some people may not like it, because it contradicts their favorite ship. If you're a diehard Phinbella shipper, don't play cute and say the children of Phineas and Isabella will disappear in a Puff of Logic if it doesn't happen. In case you haven't noticed, Phineas and Isabella's future kids disappeared in Chapter 2. (The first chapter was a prologue, remember?)

This author's note is getting a bit long, so I'm going to stop now and let you enjoy the next chapter.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Isabella?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"You don't have to if you don't want to, you know. We could turn around right now and do something else, if you like."

"No. I'm determined to do this. I've been avoiding this for far too long."

"All right, Isabella. I'm with you."

"Irving?"

"Yes, Isabella?"

"Could you at least hold my hand? So I don't chicken out?"

"Sure thing."

The two teenagers opened the gate to the Flynn-Fletcher backyard. With a trembling heart (and a trembling body, for that matter), Isabella set foot on the lawn.

"Hey, Phineas." Irving was kind of nervous. He could hear the way Isabella's voice shook.

"Hey, Isabella." It was obviously no less awkward for him.

"Whatcha… what… wha… whatcha do…"

"What's up, Phineas?" Irving said quickly. She must have been nervous if she couldn't even say something she said every day. Or used to say.

"Oh, not much. We're making smaller, handheld versions of those bubble machines we made a while back. Then we'll all take rides around the city."

"Wow, that's cool. I'd love to ride in a bubble. I missed the first time."

Irving suddenly realized Isabella had gone stiff next to him. He remembered that the first time they had gone riding in bubbles, Phineas had sent Isabella and the Fireside Girls to get some sap.

It was almost as if Phineas had read Isabella's mind. "Oh, and we don't need to send for any sap. Ferb was able to clone the tree from a drop. It's in the greenhouse now."

Isabella relaxed. The next few minutes passed without a hitch.

"Hey, Irving. Can you come over here for a minute? I need you to hold something down while I screw it in. Normally, I'd ask Ferb, but he's busy."

The task took five seconds.

"Irving, the real reason I called you over is Isabella. Can I ask you to do me another favor?"

"What?"

"Treat her well. I didn't."

"What do you mean? Were you mean? I don't think that's even possible, Phineas."

"No, I wasn't mean, but I didn't give her the relationship she deserved. She deserves more, Irving. And I think you can give her more."

"What? She's not my girlfriend, Phineas. We don't even like each other. This is strictly The Friend Zone. Nothing more."

"Please, Irving. I may not be as observant as Ferb, but even I saw that you two have been holding hands, or at least touching, all day, and every other time I've seen you, you stand within eighteen inches of each other when you're not touching, and your feet are pointing at each other."

Irving looked down, then at Isabella. He sheepishly realized that Phineas was right.

"Irving, contrary to popular belief, I can tell when two people like each other. I'm not that obtuse."

Irving didn't know what to say.

"Well, Irving, Isabella's waiting for you. We'll be done in about five minutes. Then we'll distribute the bubble blowers."

Irving walked over to Isabella.

"Hey, Isabella."

"Thanks for coming back, Phineas. I was starting to feel stranded over here."

"Isabella, you're a confident woman. I'm pretty sure you can move by yourself."

"I know that, but it's so _weird_! Have you ever learned to do something, then stopped doing it, and then you tried to do it again, and it was like you forgot it? That's how it felt to try and ask Phineas what he was doing. It makes me feel ridiculous."

"Isabella, you're not ridiculous. You are -"

"OK, guys! We're ready! Here are your bubble blowers. They can hold up to two people at once. Have fun!"

Irving and Isabella joined each other in a bubble. It was the perfect size: They were close, but they had personal space.

"So, Irving, what were you saying?"

"You're amazing. The only thing ridiculous about you is how wonderful you are. I think you're my best friend."

"Irving?"

"Yeah?"

"I feel the same way. Except…"

"Except what?"

"I think I feel a little bit more."

"I was kind of hoping you'd say that."

And he kissed her. It was short, but wonderful. They were floating high above Danville, where nothing could hurt them. He felt safe in her arms, and she felt safe in his. After a couple of seconds, they pulled apart.

"Ready to come back to earth?"

"Almost. Let's float around some more."


	7. Epilogue

Epilogue

Irving McAllister was unpacking boxes. It had been four months since he and his family had moved in, and now all there was left to do was unpack the rest of the cardboard boxes or store them up in the dusty, hot attic.

He opened a particularly old one to see what was inside. A couple of three-ring binders, some notebooks, and a few loose-leaf papers. Irving picked up one of the papers and smiled at the childish handwriting and the date from over seventeen years back. It was one of his sixth-grade papers. A single paragraph, complete with a childish illustration on the back.

_What I Want to Be When I Grow Up_

_I want to be a writer. I'm going to write Phineas and Ferb's biograffy. A biograffy is when you write what people did during thier lifes. Phineas and Ferb are going to be inventors. I'm making a list of what they are building every day. And in the book the list will be in it. The book is going to be a good book. _

Irving smiled at the spelling mistakes. He picked up a three-ring binder. It had documentation of every single project of Phineas and Ferb's from fourth grade to seventh grade. Another binder had from eighth grade to high school.

Irving hadn't forgotten about his childhood dreams, of course. In a way, he still followed most of them. He had gone to Phineas and Ferb's house every day until they moved out. When they turned eighteen, they placed nearly four hundred patents on things they had made over several summers.

Irving never became their assistant. Sure, he often stopped into their studio to see what kinds of inventions were coming up, but they insisted they were fine. Judging by the sheer volume and quality of the things they were putting out, Irving could tell they were right.

After discovering hidden talent, Irving had become a photographer and been praised for his work. The latest edition of several art history textbooks actually featured some of his photographs! This had been quite exciting for Irving.

And of course, Irving had gotten married. He couldn't believe how little he'd thought about it as a kid. Now, his family was the most important part of his life. His wife was nice, funny, and intelligent. She enjoyed hanging out with the Flynn-Fletchers just as much as he did. And she had, indeed, been a Fireside Girl: to be specific, she had been the Troop Leader of Troop 46231. They had been married for four years and had a six-month-old daughter, Joy Marie.

Irving's life wasn't as simple as he had hoped, but he loved it. Because sometimes, the most fun part of life was that it was completely unexpected.


End file.
